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Patient Access to Research

patientINFORM is a program that provides patients with access to research on the diagnosis and treatment of specific diseases.

Select a topic below to view digests of late-breaking research published in respected medical journals on diabetes and related conditions. These digests are intended to help you understand the latest research. The information provided is not a substitute for advice from your doctor or other health care provider.

Search for a digest by topic:

Patient Inform Topic*

Most recently published digests:

October 1, 2016Screening for Pre-eclampsia in Type 1 DiabetesThis research confirms that the presence of elevated FABP4 during pregnancy can predict pre-eclampsia in women with type 1 diabetes and suggests it may be an important biomarker for use in screening.

August 9, 2016Be Nicer to Yourself, and Your A1C Will Thank You: Self-Compassion, Depression, and DiabetesThis study suggests that learning to be kinder to oneself (rather than being harshly self-critical) may have both emotional and metabolic benefits among patients with diabetes. The ability to be kind and to understand oneself in the face of difficult feelings may be important for reducing the suffering linked to depression and distress and for improving A1C—the key clinical marker of effective diabetes management. The benefits of developing self-compassion might also extend to other chronically ill populations.

July 29, 2016Sniffing Out Hypoglycemia: How Dogs Can Detect Low Blood Glucose LevelsThese findings suggest that detection of a chemical in the breath called isoprene may offer an easy alternative to monitoring changes in blood glucose levels for people with diabetes. This also likely explains how dogs can detect (and can be trained to detect) low blood glucose levels in their owners.

June 30, 2016Bariatric Surgery Beats Diet and Exercise in a Head-to-Head ComparisonAccording to the findings of this study, compared with aggressive diet and exercise, RYGB surgery results in greater weight loss, leads to type 2 diabetes remission more often, and offers tighter blood glucose control, in addition to improvements in other risk factors for heart disease, in patients who are mild-to-moderately obese.

May 31, 2016Is Type 2 Diabetes Reversible?According to these findings, type 2 diabetes is a potentially reversible condition. An intense weight loss program was able to eliminate diabetes in participants for at least 6 months. This study suggests that the disease may be solely a response to overnutrition (eating more calories than needed). If normal fasting blood glucose levels after weight loss can be maintained in the longer term, the approach to type 2 diabetes management could change dramatically.

May 27, 2016Can Diet and Exercise Prevent Loss of Brain Cells in Type 2 Diabetes?According to the findings of this study, long-term weight loss intervention for those with type 2 diabetes may delay increases in cerebrovascular disease and brain atrophy, ultimately reducing the likelihood of stroke and dementia. If true, this would mean that behavioral intervention is even more important for people with diabetes and could have great public health significance. It is unknown whether the positive effects on brain structure could result in better brain function.

May 25, 2016Did You Remember to Exercise Today? Improve Your Memory with Aerobic Activity Exercise can not only strengthen the body, but also the brain. Certain types of exercise can help improve brain functions like learning and memory by increasing brain cell production. According to the findings of this study, aerobic exercise such as running promotes brain cell growth more than high-intensity anaerobic training, and weight training does not promote brain cell growth.

April 21, 2016A Single Shot of Vitamin D May Help Improve Diabetic Nerve PainA single dose of 600,000 IU of vitamin D (injected under the skin into a muscle) appears to be a safe treatment for improving diabetic nerve pain, according to the findings from this study. The benefits of vitamin D appear to be best at 10 weeks after the dose is given and can last up to 20 weeks.

April 21, 2016Autism May Increase Type 2 Diabetes RiskAccording to the findings from this study, youth and young adults with ASD have a higher chance of getting type 2 diabetes later in life than individuals without ASD. Clinicians working with patients with ASD should closely monitor body weight and lipid profiles to try to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes.

April 21, 2016After-Meal Blood Glucose Spikes? Try Using Extra-Virgin Olive OilThis study shows for the first time that the type of fat eaten significantly affects blood glucose levels after a high-GI meal in patients with type 1 diabetes. Avoiding foods rich in butter and using extra-virgin olive oil could help improve your postprandial (after-a-meal) blood glucose levels.

The structured summary format used by patientINFORM was developed by the Annals of Internal Medicine, which regularly includes patient summaries of research articles.